Wire-stretcher



N0. 6|6,|76. Patented D80. 20,1898. H. ZIMMERMAN. WIRE STBE'TCHEB. (Applimeion med My`17, 189s.)

(No Model.)

NrTnD STATES i PATENT WlREi-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,176, dated December" 2o, 1898. Application iilod May 17, '1898. Serial No. 680,973. (No model.)

To @ZZ weon it may concern: s

Be it known that I, HARRY ZIMMERMaN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Frederick, in the county of Frederick and State of Maryland, have invented Vcertain new and useful Improvements in Vire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wire-stretchers, and has for its object to improve and si'n plify the construction of this class of devices; and to these ends my invention consists of a stretcher embodying the various features of construction and arrangement of parts havi g the mode of operation substantially as hr' einafter more particularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front View, parts being broken away, of the preferred embodiment of my invention, showing it applied to a wire. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the bar or body portion. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the winding-key. Fig. 4 is a top edge view of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 6 is a front view of a slightly-modified construction, a part being broken away 5 and Fig. 7 is a transverse section of Fig. 6.

While my device is intended more especially as a wire-stretcher, it can of course be used for other purposes to which it is adapted, and while I will now describe in detail the embodiment shown in the drawings it is evident that the invention can be embodied in other forms, according to the requirement of any particular oase, Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the body portion or bar, which is shown as having an enlarged central portion with an opening A' in its center and projecting arms A2 A3, having hooked or bent portions at their extremities. These arms may be variously shaped, but are preferably curved slightly toward the face of the bar, as best shown in-Fig. 4, and the hooks a2 c3 on the respective arms preferably project toward the face of the ratchet-teeth and are bent so as to readily grasp the wire X or other material to be stretched and hold the stretcher in position, and, -as shown in Fig. l, this construction insures the arms A2 A3 grasping rmly the Wire, preventing the ratchet from unwinding, which will be more difficult to accomplish if the hooks a2 a3 project away from the face of the ratchet-teeth. It will be noticed that in the preferred construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 the hook a2 is curved nearly to half a circle, While'the hook a3 extends more nearly at right angles to the general trend of the arm A3, and its end is preferably pointed, as shown, so that a2 can be hooked onto a Wire and secure that end of the ratchet which permits the point of a2 to be readily slid under a taut wire and into position, and both of the hooks are so shaped as to form depressions a.

to better'receive and retain the wire or other material in the bite of the hooks.

l do notlimit myself to anyparticular shapes or construction of the hooks a2 c3, and it will be seen that either of the hooks a2 or cts, or both, maybe formed into a closed eye, as indicated in Fig. 6, through which the Wire may be run, and the body portion A may thus be strung onto a Wire or other material to which it is adapted, that would prevent it from becoming detached without sliding over the end of the Wire.

On the face of the bar or plate A is a ring of ratchet-teeth A4, surrounding the opening A and preferably cast or formed integral with the body.

The winding-key B comprises a disk having preferably a surface B', and extending from its central portion are the projections or studs B2 B2, having a passage B3 between them. The shape of these studs or projections may vary; but it is preferable to have their outer surfaces b2 curved on a circle concentric with the outer surface of the disk, while the inner faces b5 are a sort of ogee shape, leaving a sinuous passage between them for the reception of the Wire primarily, and, further, for the reception of a proper tool-as, for instance, a screw-driver or spanner--which can be readily applied for the purpose of operating the key. The thickened ends of the projections are rounded or curved inward, as at b', so as not to give too abrupt an angle to the Wire extending between the lugs or projections. This particular shape of the lugs is of advantage over other construc- IOO tions in that allthe bearing-surfaces on the wire or other material stretched are curved or rounded, preventing any tendency to break the wire. The rear portion of the disk constituting the winding-key is provided with a ratchetning B4, adapted to engage the ratchetring A4 on the body, and it is also provided with an extension B5, which passes through the opening A in the body and is preferably a hollow square, as shown in Fig. 5, and this may receive a tool or instrument for operating the winding-key, and further serves to maintain the winding-key generally in position, with its ratchet-teeth engaging those of the bar or body portion. The periphery of the winding-key` B may be formed for a Spannerwrench or a pipe-wrench, which may be readily used for operating the key.

In Figs. G and 7 I have illustrated another embodiment of my invention, wherein the hooks a2 a3 are substantially the complements of each other and are of the same general contour as the hook a2 in the first embodiment. This construction renders it less easy to apply the stretcher to a wire which is more or less taut, while the configuration of the hooks shown in Fig. l facilitates the application of the stretcher to the wire. In this embodiment the opening A is of less diameter than that in the former construction, and the extension B5 is rounded to more nearly fit the opening and serve as a guide for the winding-key. Moreover, the projections orlugs B2 are of a slightly-different shape, although it will be seen that they embody generally the features of the projections previously described.

This being the general construction of the device, its operation will largely be understood and especially on reference to the drawings, and it will be seen that the hook a2 is first applied to the wire. Then the wire is passed through the passage B3 between the lugs B2 and .the hook a2 applied in position.

It will be seen that the curvature of the arms A2 A8 and the positions of the hooks a2 a2 are such with relation to the ring-like surface B that when the stretcher is in position the wire X will be bent from its vertical plane, so that it tends to draw and hold the two parts of the stretcher together, as indicated in Fig. 4, and the ring-like surface B is inclined, so as to conform substantially to the inclination of the wire between the hooks. As the winding-key is turned the wire is wound upon the lugs or projections B2 and the slack thereby taken up, and it will be seen that each layer of wire wound upon the projections is superposed upon the other and also lies fiat upon the inclined ring-like surface B', so that there is no tendency to slip, and all the time there is a pressure exerted tending to cause the ratchet-teeth B4 on the winding-key to engage and maintain their engagement with the ratchet-teeth A4 on the body portion A. Of course the tighter the wire is drawn the strongeris this tendency for engagement,and I have found that I am enabled to make ratchetteeth of comparatively small size, and by making them ring-shaped I am enabled to get a very strong and substantial engagement` between the two parts of the stretcher with relatively small teeth, the strain on the teeth being distributed through a number of difer ent points.

When it is desired to remove the stretcher, pressure can be applied upon the extension B5 sufficient to disengage the ratchet-teeth, and then the tension upon the wire willcause the parts to separate and the stretcher can be removed, although ordinarily, especially in wire fences and the like, it is often desirable to leave the stretcher in position, and it will be seen that once applied and the wire stretched the tension of the wire tends to hold the stretcher in position without danger of its being removed by accident or otherwise than by an intentional or forcible removal. y

Without attempting to set forth all the advantages of my improved construction it may be said that the parts are simple and are easily made from cast metal or otherwise, and there are only two pieces, which are readily put together, and once put together are held in proper position by the wire. The curved arms, combined with the inclined face of the ring-like portion B', is a very important feature, as by this arrangement and combination of parts the stretcher is held in its locked position without liability of being disari ranged. By the use of the ring-like ratchets great strength and power of resistance are furnished by distributing the tension over many points of engagement. The peculiar shape and arrangement of the lugs are such that there is no tendency to break or disrupt the wire by producing sharp bends therein, and a ready means of operating the windingkey is furnished either by the use of a screw` driver engaging the inner surfaces of the lugs or by a wrench engaging their outer surfaces or a lever extending between the surfaces or a wrench to engage the extension B5 or a Spanner-wrench or pipe-wrench to engage the periphery of the winding-key B, so that any amount of tension desired can be readily put upon the wire or other material stretched.

1. A wire-stretcher, comprising two parts, the body portion having arms and an annular ratchet, and the winding-key having lugs and an annular ratchet adapted to engage the ratchet on the body portion, substantially as described.

2. A wire-stretcher, comprising two parts, the body portion having arms bent toward the face of the body portion and having ratchetteeth on said face, and the winding-key having a face, lugs, and ratchet-teeth engaging the ratchet on the body portion whereby when in position the tension on the wire tends to hold the ratchet-teeth in engagement, substantially as described.

3. A wire-stretcher, comprising two parts, the body portion having a ratchet-face and projecting bent arms provided with hooks IOO projecting toward the face of the ratchetteeth, and the winding-key having a face,

lugs, and ratchet-teeth engaging the ratchet on the body portion, whereby when in position the tension on the wire tends to hold the ratchetteeth in engagement and the bent hooked arms harder against the wire, substantially as described.

4. In a wire-stretcher, abody portion having projecting arms provided with hooks, one being curved and the other extending substantially at right angles to the arm, substantially as described.

5. In a wire-stretcher, a body portion having projecting bent arms provided with hooks and having a ratchet-face, and a central opening in the body within the ratchet, substantially as described.

6. In a wire-stretcher, abody portion having a ratchet-face and projecting bent arms provided with hooks projecting toward the face of the ratchet-teeth, substantially as described.

7. In a wire-stretcher, a winding-key hava ing an inclined ring-shaped face and projecting l-ugs on one side and ratchet-teeth and an extension on the other side, Asubstantially as described.

8. In a wire-stretcher, a winding-key provided with lugs having curved outer faces and double-curved inner faces furnishing a sinuous passage between the lugs, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HARRY ZIMMERMAN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE T. BAUMGARDNER, FRANK C. NoRwooD. 

